A real life example of using the soil moisture sensor would be in the area of smart irrigation systems. Smart irrigation systems are becoming very lucrative because they help in conserving water. Basically, the water outlets that feed irrigation canals are controlled by central microcontroller-based devices. These microcontrollers get soil moisture data from various sampling points spread over the agricultural lands. Depending on the saturation of water in the sampled area of land, the water outlets feeding the corresponding irrigation canals are opened. Thereafter, the water outlets remain open until the soil moisture saturation level reaches an acceptable level. The water outlets are usually opened and closed using solenoid valves controlled via AC powered relay devices. Later in this book, you will learn how to use AC powered devices via relay modules.

Now...